Smoking devices or utensils utilizing water or other liquid mediums for filtering purposes are well known in the art. These devices are utilized for the smoking of various types of tobaccos by inhaling or otherwise consuming the smoke by drawing the same through a vessel of water or other desirable liquid medium. In general, the smoke is bubbled through the water causing an immediate and effective cooling of the smoke.
In prior art devices or utensils, a bowl of tobacco or the like is disposed so that the smoke may be drawn from the burning tobacco through a conduit submerged in a vessel of water thereby causing the smoke to filter or bubble through the water. The water-cooled smoke is then collected in an upper region above the water line of the vessel and drawn therefrom by the user, preferably through a mouthpiece. A smoking suction applied to the mouthpiece causes the smoke and air to be drawn through the cooling water and eventually into the mouth of the smoker.
A significant problem associated with prior art smoking devices and utensils is their lack of adaptability for cleaning purposes. For example, prior art smoking devices and utensils are generally constructed in such a manner that they do not permit the easy disassemblage of parts for the cleaning of the device since they contain various screws, valves, water-tight seals, in addition to the tubing materials. Moreover, many prior art smoking devices and utensils utilize a canvas bag for holding the water. Because the canvas bags have a rather short service life due to the gradual weathering of the fabric per se and the inability to satisfactorily clean the same after repeated use of the device or utensil, it is therefore necessary to discard the smoking device or utensil after an extended period of use. A need therefore exists for a smoking device or utensil that can be readily assembled and disassembled for cleaning purposes and constructed of materials that need not be discarded after extended usage.